Apple has released the next generation of its iPhone operating system, OS 3.0. It adds a number of features, the most relevant to the e-book market is the addition to the iTunes Store of audiobook, movie, TV and music video downloads direct to the handset. The best feature, in my opinion, the long-awaited copy-and-paste capability. Here’s the upgrade page link.
Although iPhone 3.0 does offer tethering, the ability to share your phone’s broadband connection with a PC, it is not available in the United States, by AT&T’s, the carrier with exclusive rights to provide data and voice services to iPhones here, choice. The telco’s choice, not yours.
I am plugging my phone in now…. More soon on the upgrade process. Interesting first challenge: My phone is not being recognized by iTunes.
UPDATE: After downloading and installing OS 3.0, my phone cannot be activated. I have a brick and am advised to “try later.”
ONWARD: Okay, now the phone will start and can access the network. But most of my applications are gone. The only survivors, other than Apple’s apps: Kindle for iPhone; MLB AtBat 2009, ZumoDrive, QuadCamera (best hack of the old iPhone OSes); XpenseIt and; Twitterific. Oddly missing in action: iTunes and App Store.
AND FURTHER: After synching again, all apps are back, but now appear on new pages in the home view, with a blank page between the two groups. That’s weird. All apps seem to work, though adding a new email address didn’t work.
Overall grade after using it for a short time: I give it an “A.” Seems to perform a bit faster, the search feature, which appears when you sweep left (moving your thumb right across first home screen) is convenient because it finds everything with your search term, whether a contact, an email, calendar or document. Downside: The iTunes updater has repeatedly asked me to accept the same new terms of service.
3 replies on “iPhone OS 3.0 out now, upgrade odd”
Odd — my upgrade went perfectly and everything works fine. And the new functionality is lovely …
I’ve had several friends see the same oddities, but the phone comes out working in the end.
I bought myself the Kindle as a birthday present to myself and received it 5 days ago. I’m luv’n it.
I have already loaded it with a nice collection of classics plus two versions of the bible and a contemporary political book. I have read two books on it already and that is quite an accomplishment for me. I used to read avidly but since I finished my MBA ~ 5 years ago I have finished very few books. Just too difficult to read as my eyes get older. But on the Kindle, the readability has been exceptional. You can easily change the font size to suit your need and not having to hold open a book makes it even more comfortable. The screen readability is excellent with very little glare – it truly does read very much like paper and allows you to sit outside and read even in the sun.
I love the ease of sending content to the Kindle through the Whispernet cellular service. Also, the ability to quickly get a free book sample is very nice to decide if you want to purchase a book.
So far I have very few criticisms for the Kindle. I really am luv’n it. Several suggestions include:
– Improve the navigation for very large books or book collections. For example, when reading in a bible, it is very easy to lose track of what book of the bible you are in. It would be nice of the Kindle books would show a reference in the header or footer of the page for chapter and book. This holds for collections of books that come as a one book collection.
– Add an alarm clock feature. I realize that the philosophy of the Kindle was not to load it up with a lot of extra applications – stick to the core of being a great reader. That said, most readers put their book down on their nightstand and it sure would be nice to be able to set an alarm on it, especially since we will travel with this. It already has speakers so a clock feature should be simple and no cost to add.
In summary, I’m thrilled with my new acquisition. So far, I have increased my reading dramatically. Well done.